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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Long Time NOW Feminist Lillian Kozak Passes Away

Long Time NOW Feminist Lillian Kozak Passes Away

KOZAK--Lillian, passed away peacefully in her home on November 11, 2009. An ardent leader in the fight for women's rights, as well as a professional accountant and auditor in the Nassau County Attorney's Office, Family Court Bureau from 1977-2002, Lillian was appointed Chair of The National Organization for Women-New York State Domestic Relations Task Force in 1975. Professional surveys show that the number one reason women contact NOW is for issues related to divorce. Lillian and the core of women she attracted to work with the NOW Task Force were fierce in their determination to end the impoverishment of women and their families once they went through the legal process of divorce. Her background as an accountant gave her the professional skills to monitor such technical issues as laws covering joint bank accounts, the hidden drawbacks in equitable division of property and poorly drafted divorce mediation agreements. Early on, she warned that alternate dispute resolution programs could put women at a disadvantage economically or in cases of child custody and support. Lillian advocated not only for making domestic violence an element in any court evaluation about the "best interests of the child" but also for ending practices that resulted in fraudulent statements about assets. Lillian was a recipient of the Susan B. Anthony award of The National Organization for Women-New York State, The National NOW-NYS Woman to Woman Award, the Long Island NOW Lifetime Achievement Award, and recently, The Award for Lifetime Service from the Coalition for Family Justice. She is survived by her daughter Ellen Kozak and her son-in-law, Scott Miller of New York City. Her son Jeffrey Kozak is deceased. A memorial service will be announced.